Police Technician: Complaint Led To Bias

January 26, 2001|By REGINA LIGHTFOOT Daily Press

SUFFOLK — A Suffolk police employee has filed a request asking the state to investigate alleged discrimination against her by two supervisors.

On Wednesday, evidence technician Joan R. Jones filed a letter with the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry. In it, she alleged that Lt. James E. Thompson and Chief Jimmy L. Wilson had harassed her since November.

That's when Jones asked Labor and Industry to investigate her working conditions under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration program. After investigating, Labor and Industry officials listed a number of OSHA deficiencies. The department corrected the problems before a deadline.

In the letter to the state after the OSHA investigation was reported by the news media, Jones alleged that she was pressured about how the media found out. An OSHA regulation protects her from retaliation because she made the request.

"What has happened to her is tantamount to harassment," said Jones' attorney, Michael F. Imprevento.

In the letter to Labor and Industry officials, Jones alleged that Thompson repeatedly referred to Jones as a troublemaker and that he said she caused problems by calling in OSHA. She also alleged that Thompson confronted her in her office and allowed her to leave only when she said she would file a criminal complaint.

Jones also alleged in the letter that Thompson and Wilson demanded that she make the corrections outlined by OSHA because she made the complaint.

"She was concerned," Imprevento said of the initial complaint.

Telephone calls to Wilson weren't returned.

Regina Lightfoot can be reached at 247-4627 or by e-mail at rlightfoot@dailypress.com